I enjoyed moderating a panel discussion called “Fact Attack! Making Non-Fiction Fun and Fascinating” at SCBF 2025!

It was an honour to take part in the SCBF for the first time, during its second edition.

The whole idea of my panel was that non-fiction books did not have to be dry and dull. As I personally believe in edutaining children and making history come alive, I readily agreed to be part of the panel.

Author and speaker Shawn Seah, Ng Yi Sheng, and David Liew at a panel discussion at SCBF 2025.
From left to right, Ng Yi-Sheng, Shawn Seah, and David Liew during a panel discussion. Photograph by Shawn’s team.

My fellow panellists were award-winning author Ng Yi-Sheng and talented illustrator and crafter David Liew (according to him, sometimes confused with award-winning children’s book author David Seow).

And Yi-Sheng even brought Mr Monyet along, a monkey puppet. I hasten to add that this was the first time I had ever had a puppet attend any of my talks.

The three of us (and the monkey) talked about our love of history; the uses of humour; writing on problematic parts of history for children, like opium and war; parents’ concerns on how facts were portrayed; the limits of artistic licence; how facts ought to be conveyed to children; as well as how to scope stories to young children.

Author and speaker Shawn Seah standing with Ng Yi Sheng and David Liew, as well as a monkey puppet, during SCBF 2025.
From left to right, Mr Monyet (the monkey puppet), Ng Yi-Sheng, David Liew, and Shawn Seah at the SCBF 2025. Photograph by Shawn’s team.

It was really an engaging experience!

Being part of a festival dedicated to books for children feels amazing, just like when I was speaking at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). I appreciated the fact that SCBF 2025 was more than just a celebration of fiction, but non-fiction children’s books as well, just like AFCC 2025.

I have actually moderated many panels over the years, like a panel during the Baba Nyonya Literary Festival 2022 and the NTUC Career Festival 2025. But this one was easily the funniest and most humorous panel I have had the privilege of moderating.

I was glad that we shared laughter, learning, and maybe a little inspiration with our audience too.

Thank you to the Singapore Book Publishers Association and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore, the organisers of the SCBF, for inviting me to be part of this amazing festival. And I look forward to being called back again!

Thank you for reading.

Cheers,
Shawn Seah